Temperature-regulator



(No Model.) 1 2'Sheets-Sheef. 1., H. J. LUTGHER.

TEMPERATURE REGULATOR.

No. 396,215. Patented Jan. 15, 1889.

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TEMPERATURE REGULATOR.

Patented Jan, 15,1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC HENRY J. LUTCHER, OF ORANGE, TEXAS.

TEMPERATURE-REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,215, dated January 15, 1889. Application filed July 20, 1888. Serial No. 280,581- (No model.)

provement in Temperature -Regulators, of.

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in thermostatic devices for automatically regulating the temperature of lumber-driers; and it consists in certain novel features hereinafter described and claimed. 7

In the annexed drawings, which fully illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved device as applied to a lumber-drier, the latter being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical section 011 the line 00 0c of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aside view of a modification, and Fig. 4 is a section on line y y of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates a lumber-drier of the usual construction, in the lower side of which is a furnace, B, having at its front end a vertically-movable draft-regulating door, 0. In the top of the dries are a pair of doors, D, which are hinged at their lower sides and are adapted to close or uncover an opening, E, in the roof.

F represents a vertical bracket, which projects from the roof and is provided with a guiding-sheave, G.

H represents a hollow tube or thermal bar, which is made of iron, brass, or any other expansible metal, the said tube being rigidly secured at its inner end to one side of the drier, as at I, and said tube passes through a guide, K, in the opposite side of the drier and projects beyond the same, as shown. That portion of the tube which is arranged within the drier is provided with a number of perforations, J, by means of which caloric currents may pass into the tube, as well as circulate around the same, so as to cause the tube to become thoroughly heated and expanded to' a maximum extent. At a suitable distance from one side of the drier is erected a frame, K, to which is secured a quadrant arm, L, the same being provided at its perimeter with a scale, M, which is graded up to any desired point.

N represents a lever-arm which is fulcrumed to the quadrant at the lower corner thereof, and is provided at its upper end with a pointer, 0, moving in front of the scale M. The outer end of the hollow tube or thermal bar is pivoted to the lever-arm N, near and below the fulcrum of the same, as shown at P, and the said arm is thereby adapted to be operated by the said tube as it expands and contracts by the action of the heat. From one side of the arm N projects an ear or lug, Q, which has a plain transverse opening.

R represents a horizontal tappet-arm, which has one end provided with screw-threads and slipped through the openings in the ear or lug Q, the opposite end of said arm being turned downward and provided with a slotted eye, S.

T represents a pair of clamping-nuts,which are screwed on the threaded portion of the arm R and bear against the opposite sides of the ear or lug Q. These nuts secure the arm firmly to the said lug, and by turning the said nuts the arm maybe adjusted longitudinally, as will be readily understood.

The frame K is provided at one of its upper corners with a vertical beam or arm, U, to the upper end of which is secured a sleeve, V.

\V represents a rod, which has one end passed through the sleeve V and provided with clamping-nuts X X,which engage screwthreads on the said rod and bear against opposite sides of the sleeve, thereby securing said rod firmly in said sleeve and permitting it to be adjusted in a longitudinal direction. The opposite end of the said rod is normally passed through the eye S of the arm R.

Y design ates a guiding-sheave,which is journaled on a suitable support, Z, and arranged about on a level with the sheave G.

a designates a cord, which is connected to the free sides of the doors D, passes over the sheaves G Y, and is provided at its lower end with a ring, Z), which is slipped over the end of the rod \V and bears against the eye S of the arm R.

The sweep-arm is extended past its fulcrum, and is provided with an integral arc,c, provided with gear teeth (Z, which mesh with gear-pinion e, journaled on the support Z. This pinion in turn meshes with the gear- .wheel f, rigidly secured on a shaft, journaled on the side of the dry-house, and this gear-wheel in turn meshes with a rack-bar, 71, rising from the door (7. The door C is further provided with a second similar rack-bar, which meshes with a second gear-wheel on the shaft.

The operation of the device is as follows: The thermal bar is caused to expand by the action of the heat in the dry-house, and. the lever-arm is thercby'made to play over the scale of the quadrant and indicate the tem perature of the drier. \Vhcn the heat becomes so great as to endanger the lumber therein, the tubular rod or thermal bar eX- pands to such an extent as to sweep thelower arm over the quadrant sufficiently far to cause the doors 0 to be lowered and closed through the medium of the rack-bars, gearwheels, and toothed sector, as will be readily understood. At the same time the lever-arm carries the arm R inward, so as to throw the ring 1) from the rod \V, thereby releasing the cord a and allowing the doors 1) to close by their own gravity, therebyeffectually cutting off all the draft.

It will. be readily understood that under ordinary conditions the thermal bar expands and contracts under varying conditions of temperature in the drier, and thereby moves the sweep arm, as before described, and operates the gearing to automatically adjust the doors to partly cut oft or increase the supply of air to the furnace as may be necessary to maintain the air in the drier at a uniform temperature.

In Figs. 3 and r. I have illustrated a modification of my device. In this form of my invention I dispense with the raclobars, the gear-wheels, and the toothed sector, and instead I mount on the rock-shaft the crankwheels 7;, one of which may be connected to the lever or sweep arm by means of a connecting-rod, Z, as shown. ()n one side of the crank-wheels are the projecting points m. n

designates rods or chains, which have their lower ends connected to the draft-regulating doors C and their upper ends provided with eyes 0, which are slipped over the point on. In this form of my device, when the heat becomes very great the crank-wheels will be rotated to bring the pins on to such a point that the eyes will slip off them, thereby allowing the doors 0 to close by their own gravity.

llaving thus described my invention, I claim- The combination of the sweep-arm, the expansible rod pivoted thereto, the vertical arm U, the rod IV, adj ustably supported there on, the tappet-arm carried by the sweep-arm and movingon the rod \V, the doors D, and the cord extending therefrom and having a ring engaging the rod \V and adapted to be disengaged therefrom by the tappet-arm, as set forth.

2. The combination of the sweep-arm, the expansible rod pivoted thereto, the door 0, gearing between the same and the sweep-arm, the tappet-arm carried by the sweep-arm, the doors D, and intermediate devices whereby said doors D are closed by the tappet-arm, substantially as set forth.

The combination of the sweep arm or lever, the expansible rod pivoted to said sweeparm, the door 0, provided with rack-bars, and gearing between said rack-bars and the sweeparm, as set forth.

4. The combination of the sweep-arm provided with an integral toothed sector, the ex pansible rod pivoted to the sweep-arm, the door 0, having the rack-bars, and gearing between the rack-bars and the sector, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY J. LUTCHER.

\Yitnesscs:

E. W. BANCROFT, 'W. A. J OHNS. 

